hello all... i am new to this forum and am looking for some help, i am a police officer looking for a small high powered light for carry. i dont have a lot of money to spend and was told fenix is a good brand to go with...can anyone give me some insight into what they think a great powerful compact flashlight is and what their opinion is on the fenix ta21
police officer needs help
- Thread starter jvasilj87
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The cheap flashlight for security/police is the EagleTac T100C2
http://flashlightconnection.com/EagleTac-Flashlights/EagleTac-Tactical-Series-Flashlights-c17/
I have been eyeballing the OP (orange peel) reflector and the neutral-white version.
http://flashlightconnection.com/EagleTac-Flashlights/EagleTac-Tactical-Series-Flashlights-c17/
I have been eyeballing the OP (orange peel) reflector and the neutral-white version.
chef4850
Enlightened
I own several fenix's and they are great lights. A few questions would help narrow it down.
#1 - Are you planning on using primaries or rechargeable batteries
#2 - what size of light are you looking for
My first fenix was a tk10 and is still in use. Very easy to use and bright. The ta21 has a selector ring (I believe). I have a ta30 light and it has a selector ring but the ring is quite hard to turn. If you are planning on using rechargables the tk11 is a great light. Just a little more info on what you are looking for SIZE - BATT. TYPE - BRIGHTNESS - HOW LOW DO YOU NEED TO GO, etc.
Chef
#1 - Are you planning on using primaries or rechargeable batteries
#2 - what size of light are you looking for
My first fenix was a tk10 and is still in use. Very easy to use and bright. The ta21 has a selector ring (I believe). I have a ta30 light and it has a selector ring but the ring is quite hard to turn. If you are planning on using rechargables the tk11 is a great light. Just a little more info on what you are looking for SIZE - BATT. TYPE - BRIGHTNESS - HOW LOW DO YOU NEED TO GO, etc.
Chef
Chrontius
Flashlight Enthusiast
Do us a favor and fill out this survey. That way we can help pick the absolute best option based on your needs, your budget, and your preferences.
sabre7
Enlightened
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2007
- Messages
- 559
Solarforce L2/3 mode dropin/AW 18650 rechargeable battery(s)/decent charger-- all for very reasonable cost
http://www.sbflashlights.com/
http://www.sbflashlights.com/
Delta1067
Newly Enlightened
I would second this! Probably the best value out there.
I have a friend in a local PD here in NJ that I recommended a T100C2MKii to about a month ago. As of last night there were now 9 of them using it...not the same one, they each got their own...
Nice solid light with the lower setting that can be used inside without flashbulbing yourself and a high setting that out-throws the big ol' department issued streamlights.
Nice solid light with the lower setting that can be used inside without flashbulbing yourself and a high setting that out-throws the big ol' department issued streamlights.
Alberta-Blue
Newly Enlightened
This question is really going to depend on what you are willing to spend and what your looking for... but here are a few pointers.
From a professional perspective, I would suggest you stay with the K.I.S.S. standard. Most flashlight UI's dont do a very good job of making all of the cool little gimicks accessable under extreme stress. Double tapping, bezel twisting, and different clicky combos dont work when you need to get your chunk out and paired with your light
.
To that effect... I know opinions vary here
... but try and stay away from strobes. A quick pulse (momentary tap) of 150 lumens or higher, especially at a subject that is even partially night adapted, is going to disorient and temporarily blind them enough for up to 5 seconds, which should be ample time to make your move. Believe me... it works wonders, so much so that I actually had a better reaction with a pulse up light from my current light (not even 4 days ago) then I get from OC spray :devil:. The subject quite literally screamed, put his hands up, covered his eyes, stumbled around, and fell over... and he wasnt impaired either 
.
Anyway... you have lots of offerings so Ill just run down some biggies here...
From Eagletac you could pick something from their "T" line of lights. My suggestions would be the T20C2, which has a high out put and is regulated (but not flat regulated), can accept either 18650s or CR123A Primaries, has 4 modes (Strobe, Max, Med, Low), and has options/accessories galore. There is also the T100C2, which is more simple, flat regulated at its max output over the course of the whole 2:00 hours (est.) of runtime on an 18650 cell, and only has 2 modes. Both lights are built like bricks and fairly good quality, considering the price.
You could also look into the Fenix TK11 R2. Generally, you can expect 1:45 of flat regulated light at 240 lumens and an additional hour droping to about 65-70% output before the light tanks off of one 18650. It will also accept CR123A primaries in a pinch. Overall Its a fairly well built, simple, and solid light; especially considering the price and where its made. In my experience, the only real flaw in the light is that you need to be reasonably careful with the tailcap switch because it seems to be the weakest link in an otherwise good system, however even with a surefire you cant just abuse the hell out of it and expect it work when your done (even though it probably will). If you decide to go this route, do yourself a favor and get the spacer ring... because you will have one hell of a time trying to find a holster that will accomodate the tactical ring
. With the spacer ring it will fit in STRION LED holsters.
Jetbeam is AWSOME quality and has some really cool features; but for me, their IBS system (Jet III) proved to be a little to complicated for field use and their selector ring (RRT-2) kept switching on me when I tried to remove and replace it from the holster :shakehead. Otherwise they are awsome lights, will accept Primaries and 18650 cells (Same as the Eagletac and the Fenix TK11 R2), Good runtime, and are built like a rock... and I still love them for everything BUT duty carry (but everyone is different).
I have heard that the Olight M20 and the new M21 are respectable competitors to both the Eagletac and the Fenix. They are extremely good quality, appear to be solidly built, have 4 modes, accept 18650's and Primaries, and come with pretty standard accessories. However, I dont have any "hands on" experience with either of them :shrug:, just observing; so make sure you do your own homework, read LOTS of reviews, and ask questions. The M21 was just released so availability could easily be a problem.
Personally I have gone back to a more simple and mainstream brand name that I purchased right here on CPF. Its a 18650 bored Surefire C2 with a Malkoff M30 drop-in (it also has a stainless steel bezel ring and a Z58 Tailcap) :twothumbs. I currently, and likely will ONLY, run the AW 18650 cell and use a AW-139 Charger because when it comes to batteries I wont chance bad quality because they CAN go
. This light will also work with just about every side arm pairing technique that is taught and it has a clip if you need it.
Ill sum it up and keep it short. If your looking to spend the minimum while still keeping quality
... you can prolly do with any of the first options that I gave you (Eagletac, Olight, Fenix). You would have a good solid light for GENERAL duty use and wouldnt break the bank.
If you have the money or you want the best... do yourself and favor and look around on CPF for a bit first... go chat with ElectronGuru and Moodoo about their custom Surefire jobs. Get in touch with Milkyspit and see what he can set you up with. Check out the Custom forum and the Marketplace.
Good luck in your search and stay safe :wave:... hope this helped
Alberta-Blue
From a professional perspective, I would suggest you stay with the K.I.S.S. standard. Most flashlight UI's dont do a very good job of making all of the cool little gimicks accessable under extreme stress. Double tapping, bezel twisting, and different clicky combos dont work when you need to get your chunk out and paired with your light
.To that effect... I know opinions vary here
... but try and stay away from strobes. A quick pulse (momentary tap) of 150 lumens or higher, especially at a subject that is even partially night adapted, is going to disorient and temporarily blind them enough for up to 5 seconds, which should be ample time to make your move. Believe me... it works wonders, so much so that I actually had a better reaction with a pulse up light from my current light (not even 4 days ago) then I get from OC spray :devil:. The subject quite literally screamed, put his hands up, covered his eyes, stumbled around, and fell over... and he wasnt impaired either . Anyway... you have lots of offerings so Ill just run down some biggies here...
From Eagletac you could pick something from their "T" line of lights. My suggestions would be the T20C2, which has a high out put and is regulated (but not flat regulated), can accept either 18650s or CR123A Primaries, has 4 modes (Strobe, Max, Med, Low), and has options/accessories galore. There is also the T100C2, which is more simple, flat regulated at its max output over the course of the whole 2:00 hours (est.) of runtime on an 18650 cell, and only has 2 modes. Both lights are built like bricks and fairly good quality, considering the price.
You could also look into the Fenix TK11 R2. Generally, you can expect 1:45 of flat regulated light at 240 lumens and an additional hour droping to about 65-70% output before the light tanks off of one 18650. It will also accept CR123A primaries in a pinch. Overall Its a fairly well built, simple, and solid light; especially considering the price and where its made. In my experience, the only real flaw in the light is that you need to be reasonably careful with the tailcap switch because it seems to be the weakest link in an otherwise good system, however even with a surefire you cant just abuse the hell out of it and expect it work when your done (even though it probably will). If you decide to go this route, do yourself a favor and get the spacer ring... because you will have one hell of a time trying to find a holster that will accomodate the tactical ring
. With the spacer ring it will fit in STRION LED holsters.Jetbeam is AWSOME quality and has some really cool features; but for me, their IBS system (Jet III) proved to be a little to complicated for field use and their selector ring (RRT-2) kept switching on me when I tried to remove and replace it from the holster :shakehead. Otherwise they are awsome lights, will accept Primaries and 18650 cells (Same as the Eagletac and the Fenix TK11 R2), Good runtime, and are built like a rock... and I still love them for everything BUT duty carry (but everyone is different).
I have heard that the Olight M20 and the new M21 are respectable competitors to both the Eagletac and the Fenix. They are extremely good quality, appear to be solidly built, have 4 modes, accept 18650's and Primaries, and come with pretty standard accessories. However, I dont have any "hands on" experience with either of them :shrug:, just observing; so make sure you do your own homework, read LOTS of reviews, and ask questions. The M21 was just released so availability could easily be a problem.
Personally I have gone back to a more simple and mainstream brand name that I purchased right here on CPF. Its a 18650 bored Surefire C2 with a Malkoff M30 drop-in (it also has a stainless steel bezel ring and a Z58 Tailcap) :twothumbs. I currently, and likely will ONLY, run the AW 18650 cell and use a AW-139 Charger because when it comes to batteries I wont chance bad quality because they CAN go
. This light will also work with just about every side arm pairing technique that is taught and it has a clip if you need it.Ill sum it up and keep it short. If your looking to spend the minimum while still keeping quality
... you can prolly do with any of the first options that I gave you (Eagletac, Olight, Fenix). You would have a good solid light for GENERAL duty use and wouldnt break the bank.If you have the money or you want the best... do yourself and favor and look around on CPF for a bit first... go chat with ElectronGuru and Moodoo about their custom Surefire jobs. Get in touch with Milkyspit and see what he can set you up with. Check out the Custom forum and the Marketplace.
Good luck in your search and stay safe :wave:... hope this helped
Alberta-Blue
Last edited:
Josey
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm not a LEO, but I live in a remote area and my needs are often similar -- having to go out and see who's doing what to whom. I've learned these lessons:
1) Brighter is better. In today's market, you can get 700-1,500 lumens in a relatively small package with decent runtime.
2) Flood is better than spot. There's nothing worse than to be waving around a bright pencil beam, knowing that anything could be, and probably is, just outside that beam.
3) Always have a backup. Bulbs break, batteries die, things happen.
If I were a LEO, I'd want three lights that are easy to carry. The first would be my main beam -- 900 lumens minimum, with an hour runtime minimum. If I were on a budget, I'd go with the EagleTac M2C4. Brighter than my old M6 and with much better spill and a lot longer runtime. With a bit more money, I'd go with the Wolf Eyes Super Storm, which is up around 1,500 lumens with lots of spill. The Super Storm always comes on bright, and the M2C4 has an control ring so you can decided which level you want it to come on. I'd use 18650s in both.
My back-up would be a small, L4-sized (2 123 cells) light with a P7, something like Milkyspit's Roomsweeper. There is a thread here somewhere about how useful that light is to LEOs, although runtime is short. My third backup would be something very small, maybe the Fenix P2D with a primary, which means I always have a decent light pretty much no matter what happens.
1) Brighter is better. In today's market, you can get 700-1,500 lumens in a relatively small package with decent runtime.
2) Flood is better than spot. There's nothing worse than to be waving around a bright pencil beam, knowing that anything could be, and probably is, just outside that beam.
3) Always have a backup. Bulbs break, batteries die, things happen.
If I were a LEO, I'd want three lights that are easy to carry. The first would be my main beam -- 900 lumens minimum, with an hour runtime minimum. If I were on a budget, I'd go with the EagleTac M2C4. Brighter than my old M6 and with much better spill and a lot longer runtime. With a bit more money, I'd go with the Wolf Eyes Super Storm, which is up around 1,500 lumens with lots of spill. The Super Storm always comes on bright, and the M2C4 has an control ring so you can decided which level you want it to come on. I'd use 18650s in both.
My back-up would be a small, L4-sized (2 123 cells) light with a P7, something like Milkyspit's Roomsweeper. There is a thread here somewhere about how useful that light is to LEOs, although runtime is short. My third backup would be something very small, maybe the Fenix P2D with a primary, which means I always have a decent light pretty much no matter what happens.
